Questions about how common modifications for the Ford Mustang impact track use are answered with hard numbers.
Every go-fast part for the modern Ford Mustang comes with manufacturer’s claims about how much power they add, but those numbers are often recorded in a best-case situation. The actual power increases vary widely based on all sorts of variables, making it hard to quantify the real-world impact of these upgrades on a common ground.
Before getting into the results of his extensive testing, the OP gave us a quick rundown of his 2014 Mustang GT.
“Quick back ground my car is a 2014 Mustang GT with track pack option! (I ordered it from the factory only owner and driver!) (All results were from Sacramento Raceway Wednesday night drag racing) (All 5 times that will be noted in this write up were within 5 degrees of outside temperature and on evenings with 1-4 mph breeze!) I purposely went on nights that were as similar in conditions as possible! All results will include 1/4 mile times and trap speeds!”
He also mentioned that in factory-stock form, his Mustang GT ran a best time of 13.02 at 110 miles per hour.
Bring On the Mods
The first round of modifications to the 2014 Mustang GT included a Ford Racing ProCal tune and a drop-in K&N filter in the factory air box. With the stock Pirelli PZero 255/40/19 tires, the tune and air filter dropped the best time to a 12.72 at 111.9 miles per hour. The same tires were on the car for the stock run, so with the tune and air filter, the car cut three-tenths of a second and picked up almost two miles per hour in the quarter mile.
Suspension Mods
Next, the OP added suspension upgrades to help put the power to the ground more efficiently. This included Steeda Sport Springs, Yellow Koni dampers, GT500 strut mounts, BMR upper control amrs, new lower control arms, and lower control arm relocation brackets. When those suspension upgrades were added to the OP’s Mustang with the ProCal tune and a K&N filter, it turned in a best quarter mile time of 12.59 at 113.1 miles per hour. On this run, the car was on Pirelli PZero 275/40/19 tires, so it was on a slightly wider version of the stock tire.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
